A surgical protective device and a surgical sealing system are known, for example, from DE 20 2008 009 527 U1. The protective device serves to prevent damage to the sealing element of the sealing system when inserting surgical instruments or an obturator for closing the trocar sleeve. Both manufacture and positioning of the protective device on or in the seal present a problem in that with all protective devices comprising a plurality of protective elements, these have to be arranged so as to overlap in order that the protective device can be brought into contact with an inner side of the sealing element.